


Bring Me Relief

by katling



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Fluff, Headaches, M/M, Unrepentant Fluff, Unspoken communication, dorian is observant, mentions of cullen's withdrawal, they'll talk later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-24
Updated: 2017-02-24
Packaged: 2018-09-26 15:09:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9908120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katling/pseuds/katling
Summary: This was written for a prompt from thedapromptexchangeover on tumblr (which I recommend - there are prompts for all sorts of pairings). The prompt ishereand it was:Cullen gets terrible headaches every day due to the lyrium withdrawal. He tries everything the healers give him but it makes little difference. When Dorian sees him scowling over his paperwork and rubbing his temples he insists that he is going to help the Commander. He may not be a spirit healer but he has some tricks up his sleeve.Dorian is a better solution for headaches than anything the healers have given Cullen. He guesses that he'll just have to keep him.





	

The first time Dorian saw Cullen rubbing his temples, he didn’t think anything of it. They’d only been in Skyhold for a week and the place was the epitome of organised chaos. It was hardly surprising that the Commander had a headache or two. He’d seen Josephine, Cassandra, the Inquisitor and even once Leliana showing signs of a headache so it was no great surprise that Cullen had joined the rest of them.

But it kept happening. Even after they settled into Skyhold and started making it habitable, he saw Cullen rubbing his temples or his forehead with startling regularity. He told himself that he didn’t care, that just because the Commander played chess with him and put up with his cheating and boasting and teasing and flirting with smiles and smirks and blushes but no actual protests or requests to stop didn’t mean the man liked him or that he, in turn, liked Cullen. And it wasn’t as if Cullen had said anything about the headaches either. It wasn’t Dorian’s place to intrude on Cullen’s personal matters.

It didn’t stop him from being curious though and that curiosity led to an overheard conversation between Cullen and Cassandra that was more half-articulated words and cryptic assurances than anything concrete. But it was enough to have him seeking answers from a few books on lyrium he might have considered interesting, if a bit esoteric, at home but which now suddenly seemed very relevant.

In the end, the thing that motivates him is what happened when he walked into Cullen’s office one afternoon when Cullen didn’t appear for their usual chess match. He’d opened the door with teasing and slightly hurt words on his lips that he immediately swallowed down. Cullen looked dreadful. He was pale and sweating and he was rubbing his temples almost constantly as he read a report. More startling was the fact that he was slumped down in his chair. Dorian had never seen the man sitting like that to read a report. He’d had the impression that Cullen preferred to stand and move and that sitting for long periods made him twitchy. Now it just gave him more food for thought.

Cullen only now noticed him and he straightened with a stifled gasp of pain. “Dorian!” Realisation broke over his face and his expression became chagrined. “I… missed our chess game. I am sorry.”

Dorian waved a hand and arched an eyebrow. “Tell me, Commander, how long has it been since you stopped taking lyrium?”

The shock on Cullen’s face would have been hilarious at any other time and under any other circumstances. 

“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Cullen blustered but stumbled to a halt at the disappointed look on Dorian’s face.

“I’m not a fool, Cullen,” Dorian said, the warmth and concern in his voice taking the edge off the words. “And Tevinter does love its vices. I know withdrawal once I see it clearly.”

Cullen sighed and ran a hand down his face. “Since I left Kirkwall.”

Dorian drew in a breath as he ran through all the information he’d gathered on the subject. “That long? What have you been taking for relief?”

Cullen slumped down in his chair again. “Nothing.”

“What?” Dorian looked outraged. “Are you mad?”

“I’ve tried everything,” Cullen snapped, looking irritated, then he winced and rubbed at his temples again. “Nothing works,” he said in a far softer voice. “Even the strongest healing potion barely takes the edge off the headaches when they’re bad. They tell me this will pass given time but…”

Dorian saw the look of despair on Cullen’s face and moved over to the desk to stand beside the man. “Potions aren’t the answer to everything, my dear Cullen. Will you allow me to try something?”

Cullen looked up at him dubiously then he sighed and nodded. “I doubt it’ll help but alright.”

Dorian sniffed. “Oh, ye of little faith. Now sit up and lean forward just a little.”

Cullen did as he asked and Dorian placed a spell-warmed hand on the back of Cullen’s neck. He felt Cullen flinch and tense but then the man gave a low groan of pure relief as the heat from Dorian’s hand started to sink into the tight, tense muscles of his neck. Dorian then placed his other hand on Cullen’s forehead. This hand was icy-cold and Cullen sighed at the touch. Dorian suspected the man was feeling a little feverish from the paler than normal skin and the way he was sweating so the cold would feel good against his skin.

Once the Commander became used to the dual sensations of hot and cold, Dorian summoned the small amount of healing magic he possess and started channelling it through both of his hands. He didn’t bother aiming it at the headache itself. It wasn’t strong enough for that. Instead he used it to relax and soothe the muscles in Cullen’s head, neck and shoulders. He could both see and feel when it started to work as Cullen closed his eyes and started to truly relax, his weight becoming heavier against the hand Dorian had on his forehead.

Cullen gave a low murmur. “Dorian…”

“Shhh,” Dorian chided. “Just relax and let this work.”

They were both silent for a time and the only movement came when Dorian moved a little closer. Cullen had been listing towards him and when he moved to prop the man up, he smiled a little at the sigh of pleased relief he got. It occurred to him then that he was being afforded a great liberty right now. He was aware, though he did not know the reason, that Cullen was wary and hesitant when it came to magic but here he was, allowing _Dorian_ of all people to use magic on him. It made him wonder what, if anything, that meant.

“I didn’t know…” Cullen murmured, sounding a little awestruck.

“That magic could be useful on the small scale as well as the large?” Dorian said with a low chuckle. 

Cullen made a soft sound that might have been a laugh. “Something like that.” He sighed and leaned against Dorian a bit more. “Thank you.”

Dorian swallowed his instinctive flippant response. “You are most welcome, Cullen.”

Silence fell again and Dorian looked down at Cullen. There was something… well, just something about the way the man was leaning into him. Perhaps a level of trust that he had so rarely received in the past that set his heart pounding. Surely Cullen’s behaviour meant _something_ , something beyond simple friendship. Or was he reading too much into this? After all, it wasn’t unusual for a friend to help another friend when they were ill. That was entirely normal or so he’d been told.

“I can hear you thinking from here.”

Cullen’s voice was soft but full of amusement and Dorian scowled at him, even though the man couldn’t see his expression in his current position.

“Is that so?” he said archly.

“Mhmm,” Cullen replied. “All squeaky wheels and grinding gears.”

Dorian spluttered. “I _beg_ your pardon!” he said with amused indignation. “There is nothing squeaky or grinding about _my_ thought processes. They are pristine and smooth.”

Cullen chuckled and then moved away just enough so that he could look up at Dorian. The mage’s breath caught at the soft, fond look on Cullen’s face but it was the open invitation in his eyes that made him do what he did next. He took his hands from where they were resting on Cullen’s neck and forehead and cradled the man’s face before leaning down and gently kissing him.

Cullen went still and just for the barest moment Dorian wondered if he’d entirely misread the situation. Then Cullen made a soft sound and kissed him back, his hands coming to rest on Dorian’s hips. They traded kisses for a while, soft gentle kisses unlike the kind Dorian was used to. Not that he wanted this to stop. He found himself craving these soft gentle kisses more than he’d ever thought possible.

But they did finally stop but they didn’t move. Instead Dorian rested his forehead against Cullen’s and sighed gently.

“My head feels better,” Cullen murmured. “You were right.”

“Of course I was,” Dorian said smugly.

“I guess I’ll just have to keep you around, just in case the headaches come back,” Cullen said with a deceptive idleness. 

Dorian however could see the look in Cullen’s eyes – the want, the plea, the adoration and the fear and hesitancy – and the smile he gave the man in return was honest and open and very sweet. He also knew that his eyes were telling a similar story.

“Well, I _am_ here to serve the Inquisition,” he said lightly, though the way he caressed Cullen’s face then ran his hands into the Commander’s hair gave the lie to that. “And we can’t have the Inquisition’s Commander at anything less than his best.”

Cullen smiled and Dorian knew immediately that he would do a great many things in order to see that smile directed at him. Dorian smiled back and they didn’t need to say anything more to understand what this was and where it was going. They would in the future, when the words needed to be said, but not right now. Now, all that was needed was for Dorian to lean in again and kiss Cullen. 

So he did.


End file.
